Not My Story
by Lonely in Russia
Summary: Rated for language. Set after the Bladebreakers have defeated the Russian team. As Rei delves deeper and deeper into Kai's past, and Tala learns things that he should not know about the Abbey, there is something brewing that will affect them all.
1. Final Showdown

Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade. If I did, I'd be seriously worried about what some people out there were doing with my characters =P hehe.  
  
Okay, I know Kai remembers some of his past when he's back in the abbey during the Russian tournament, but this fic is set as if not all of his memories returned, okay? Enjoy  
  
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_Not My Story  
  
Final Showdown_

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_When is the future ever clear; when is our past ever a complete memory; when does the present ever make perfect sense? Why do we try so hard to plan things, or to remember, or to settle ourselves into a world that we can understand, when the truth is, there is no understanding. There is no truth. There are no memories that will last forever, because in the end, our souls will leave, and there will be nothing left to tell of the fun we have had, or of the pain we have felt._  
  
It was over, it was all over...  
  
Rei stared up at the ceiling and his lips curled into a smile. They had won, they had beaten the Russian team, and now they were number one. He sat up and glanced across at his team-mates, who where still sleeping. The room they were in was plain, four beds were lined up against a white wall – Kenny had a room to himself - with a white carpet underneath them. Rei stepped out of bed and his feet sank into the carpet, he wriggled his toes, smiling at the soft material that surrounded them. The neko-jin made his way to the French windows and opened them slightly, but shut them just as quickly when an icy Russian breeze flew in. He shivered and sat down on a stool, putting his elbows on his knees and taking a look around him.  
  
In the bed nearest the door was Max, wriggling every now and then and getting his sheets in quite a state. Rei smiled and fiddled absentmindedly with the end of his loose braid, moving his gaze to the next bed, in which Tyson slept. Or at least he thought it was Tyson; all he could see was a mass of sheets that would shift occasionally. Rei chuckled and one of Tyson's legs fell out of its protective cocoon and hit the floor with a loud thump. However, it didn't seem to wake the Japanese teen so Rei just chuckled and turned to gaze at the last bed.  
  
Kai lay on one side, his sweatpants and T-shirt the only things between him and the air. Rei noticed how, although the team leader decided he didn't want to sleep under the covers, in his sleep he had curled up and tried to snuggle into them more. Rei sighed and looked away. It just went to show how stubborn his captain really was.

-

_The Abbey walls were cold, Kai noted as he was forced back against them. As his head connected with the wall, he tried to catch the face of his attacker, but the pitch black was a hindrance. Out of nowhere, a fist flew forward and impacted with his jaw, creating a clicking sound as Kai's head swung to the side from the force of the blow. It's just a nightmare. This isn't real. Kai heard the words in his head before he could even think them, and a nauseous feeling settled in the bottom of his stomach, telling him that wasn't true. This wasn't a dream, it was a memory, and memories are everything but unreal. Kai knew that he probably wouldn't remember this when he woke, but whilst he was sleeping, there was nothing to stop the entourage of pain that swept from the back of his mind, like a flood, like a river rushing past and drowning him with its strength. No, dreams he could not be scared of, but this..._

-  
  
When the alarm clock went of at exactly 14 minutes to 8, and shattered the peaceful silence that had settled over the hotel room and the Chinese blader, Tyson was the first person out of bed, the first one in the bathroom, and the first one to get dressed. Max and Kenny were still in a state of shock; although they'd seen this four days running, it was still something that scared them greatly. Kai, as usual, got out of bed, a little surprised to see Rei already up and dressed, but he said nothing and went into the en suite once Tyson had come out, not saying a word to anyone. Rei watched him go, and for a split second when Kai's gaze caught his, he felt a deep longing to know more about his captain, much more than he would ever learn of Kai's own free will. However, when Kai turned, the longing subsided and Rei went back to praising the hotel for cooking such fabulous food that Tyson willingly got out of bed every morning. Maybe Rei would have to ask for some recipes, he could sure do with a secret weapon against his Japanese friend.

Down in the dining room where their table was stacked high with food, Kai sat staring downwards at his plate, hardly touching what was on it. His mind was too busy worrying, although his crimson eyes would hardly give away what he thought of as a very humiliating emotion. They were, as per usual, still and filled with nothing. No happiness, no sadness, just a look of intense concentration. Now that they had finished blading, he would have to go back home, and no matter how much Kai liked his solitude – something that came in plentiful amounts in his Grandfather's huge mansion – Kai didn't feel like facing the price he would have to pay for a few moments alone. Shivering, he pulled his arms closer around himself and sighed.  
  
Rei, having finished eating, was now waiting for the others to fill up. His fingers played with the fringe of the tablecloth, a lace sheet covered with embroidery of world famous buildings. Hearing a shudder beside him he turned and frowned when he saw Kai close his eyes and sigh. Rei reached out a hand and placed it on Kai's arm, but he was not prepared for what Kai would do. The older teen turned his head and gazed sadly at Rei, eyes flittering down to the hand on his arm and he released one of his own hands and placed in on top of Rei's. The Chinese blader frowned and leaned closer to Kai, so that the others would not see their captain's odd mood.

"Is something wrong?" Rei asked, searching for a clue in the crimson orbs in front of him. They shut slightly, dark lashes fluttering as Kai mentally berated himself for what he was about to say.

"Can I come and stay with you, In China? Just for a bit," his hand closed around Rei's and his mind started screaming at him. _What am I doing? Why am I asking him this? I know I trust him more than the others...and he doesn't annoy me quite as much...but...am I really that scared of going back to Grandfather?  
_  
Rei's golden eyes went blank as he took in the words. Kai wanted to...wow...

"I...I guess," he said quietly, wondering if this were all a joke. He looked into Kai's crimson orbs but he could see nothing unusual; even his neko-jin senses weren't picking up anything out of the ordinary from the older blader.  
  
"Good morning all!" a cheery voice behind them declared and Kai and Rei both withdrew their hands faster than they ever thought they could move. Mr Dickenson twitched his moustache and sat down next to Kenny. "We've decided to have a party to celebrate the end of the tournament," he beamed. "And, of course, to celebrate the success of the bladebreakers."  
  
Max and Tyson whooped, Kenny ducked his head to avoid a collision with their high-five.  
  
"We've invited the Demolition boys as well," the old man continued, and if he noticed the sudden change in atmosphere, he did not show it.  
  
"The Demolition Boys?" Kai questioned, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The old man nodded. _Brilliant_, Kai thought bitterly as he stood from the table and made his way back up to their room. He could feel someone watching him, and knew that Rei was going to ask some questions later. Maybe, just maybe, Kai would answer them, but truth be told, Kai couldn't tell anyone about his past; after all, how do you tell someone something that you do not know?

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Tala's brow was lined with sweat as he drove his beyblade through yet another concrete pillar. The plaster shot sideways, just narrowly missing the boy, and he took a step back. No matter how strong he was, it was stupid to endanger one's life. Very stupid. How could you achieve perfection if you had a lump of rock wedged in your stomach?   
  
The red-haired, Russian blader had been training for five hours. It was now midnight, but he refused to care. Tala had dismissed himself from dinner early and had made his way down to the training room, making sure to lock the door so that nobody else could enter, and then he had begun to train. And my god, did he train. The twenty pillars that he had arranged to be set up were no longer standing, instead they lay half-height with jagged edges, the remains of the tops now lying in shards around them. Tala's eyes narrowed to slits as he once again thought of their defeat. _His_ defeat. It wasn't good enough, and Tala was going to make sure that, next time, the bladebreakers would not be so lucky.  
  
With a loud battle cry, Tala sent his blade spinning through the air. He could feel the power of the wolf inside him, captivating him, thrilling him. His blade was suspended in the air, and he made it rise higher, then, he swung it towards the side of the room where there were small glass screens in place. With a satisfying _chink _the glass shattered and tumbled to the floor.  
  
A smirk found its way onto Tala's face, and he moved his blade to the other side of the room. But without warning, the blade ricocheted off an uneven part of the wall and went flying out through a window, the glass falling neatly besides it. Tala cursed and made his way to the door; there was no way he could leave his blade out there.

-----------------

The Abbey hallways were dark and cold. What was it about places like this that just had that _evil _atmosphere? Tala wondered to himself as he walked along, noting with pride that his footsteps made no sound on the stone floor. _Perhaps it's what goes on here_, a voice in his mind suggested. Tala shivered and he knew that he was reaching the door to outside. His hand gripped the iron handle and he swung it forwards, the coldness and stillness of the night instantly chilling him to the bone. The Russian blader's crystal blue eyes darted from one end of the abbey to the other, try to discern which way he should head. Working out vaguely the direction of the training room windows, he started walking, noticing that the training centre was stupidly positioned quite near the gates of the abbey. He shrugged and pulled his jumper around him. Damn it was cold. From the edge of the building, there was about a yard or so of ground and then a metal fence. Tala cursed as he realised that if his blade had gone over that fence, he had lost it. Suddenly, he heard a sound and spun round, eyes widening as he saw a black car approaching the gates of the abbey. He swore and ran swiftly over to the trail of trash cans, slipping in between two fairly big ones.  
  
The car cruised over the snow, making a crunching sound as it pulled to a halt. The headlights were turned off, and Tala watched as the passenger door opened and Boris stepped out.  
  
_Shit!_ Tala thought, knowing that he was in big trouble if Boris saw him. The red-head inched as far back as he could go, praying that Boris just wouldn't notice him. A noise startled them both, and Tala looked across to the bushes just outside the abbey grounds, seeing a fox slinking away into the night. Boris, however, did not see this, and he slowly walked over. Tala could see the cold expression on his face turn to one of surprise, and he found himself curious as to what his trainer had found. That was until Boris picked up an object from the ground. Tala let out a muffled stream of obscenities about foxes as he watched Boris turning Wolborg over in his hand. The older man looked round, his eyes obviously looking for something out of the ordinary. But he saw nothing and went back to the car, looking behind him one last time.  
  
Tala waited until he saw Boris walk into the Abbey and the driver of the car had got out – probably to go to the loo - and then he crept out of between the bins. Knowing that no guard was going to raise an alarm at seeing him, he walked opening to the main door of the abbey. At least, he started on his way there. There was something weird on one of the back windows of the car, and Tala crept closer. He tentatively placed a finger on the glass but could not feel anything. Must be on the inside then. He checked the handle and found that the car was unlocked, so he opened the door. But once it was open, Tala forgot all about the substance on the window as a sense of fear and dread silently washed over him. He stared at the body that lay across the seats. Pale skin was not marred with any cuts, and neither could Tala see any damaging to it, but he knew that this person was dead. There was something deafeningly frightening about the corpse, and Tala staggered back. What was it? Had he seen him before? Tala didn't recall, there was little or no hair on the figure's head, and Tala didn't recall seeing any bald people around that he would remember like this. But there was something strikingly familiar about the face. Before he could figure out what it was, there came the sound of a door shutting somewhere, and he slammed the car door shut, running as fast as he could inside the abbey and to his room. Sleep would not find him tonight, he knew.

----------------

"It's cold."  
  
"No, duh, Tyson, we're in Russia," was the sarcastic comeback. The blonde blader sat up on the bed he'd been laying down on, and stretched, glancing at the clock as he did so. Seeing that it was only ten minutes later than when he had last checked, he sighed and lay back down.  
  
Today was looking miserable, and so were the team. Tyson was complaining that he wasn't allowed to eat anything until lunchtime, which had, of course, been Kai's decision. Max was busy telling Tyson to 'shut up' every time the younger blader moaned about something; Max felt like a Black Eyed Peas song, continuously telling Tyson to 'Shut up, just shut up, shut up'. Even Kenny was so bored that there was no longer the sound of continuous typing coming from his laptop. Instead, he was sat with his head in his hands, humming a soft tune in the hopes that it would lull him to sleep and he could escape this boredom.  
  
For a while there was silence, as nobody could think of what to say. Then,  
  
"I hate Russia."  
  
"I agree! It's so dull."  
  
"I don't know how people can stand living here."  
  
"The food isn't even that great."  
  
"No wonder Voltaire was trying to take over the world, it's the only excitement you can get around he-"  
  
"That's _enough_!" silence followed. The bladebreakers looked up at their team captain who had just walked through the door with Rei, he was glaring at them all, and, Tyson noticed, shuddering, it was a lot worse than his usual ones. What was he pissed off about now?  
  
"How can you sit here moaning about a country when you haven't even _seen_ it? You're all pathetic," Kai spat and growled, walking over to the balcony. Tyson frowned.  
  
"Whadda ya mean we haven't 'seen' it? Look out the window, man, there's nothing but snow for miles and miles and miles and-"  
  
"We get the picture, Ty," Max butted in, saving them all from an exaggerated account on how much snow there was.  
  
"What do you expect?" Kai replied bitterly. "It's winter," he shook his head and looked out over the city. The city that he loved yet couldn't wait to get away from; the city that had been his home. Rei sighed, he had wanted to catch Kai in a good mood so that he could talk to him, but now it seemed that was out of the question. Glancing around the room and noting with a small smile how sombre everybody looked, Rei grinned.  
  
"Why don't we go shopping?" he suggested. "You know, for the party? We could ask Mr Dickenson if there's anything he needs us to get. Also, we could all do with a new outfit."  
  
The others seemed to consider this for a second, and then there was a mass approval. Even Kai took the time to come in from the balcony and nod, saying that he would go with them.

--------------

Once they had reached the town, Rei found himself quite charmed with the way Kai was treating them. It was easy to see this had once been him home, although Rei was beginning to wonder how much Kai remembered when he had suddenly directed them to a shop that he had forgotten existed. When Tyson started to complain about being hungry, Kai took them to a restaurant called _Sapporo_, and everyone in the team had been quite spooked when a waitress started talking animatedly to Kai in Russian. Kai had regarded her quite simply and told her what they wanted to eat, in English. She had nodded and looked a bit hurt that he hadn't responded to her.  
  
"Do you know her Kai?" Tyson had asked.  
  
"I wouldn't remember," Kai had replied.  
  
As Rei walked alongside Kai, the other three a little way behind them, the neko-jin turned his head and studied Kai out of the corner of his eye, but then gave up being discreet when it became apparent that Kai knew it was being watched. The raven haired blader's curiosity eventually became too much for him and he lifted his head up, looking openly at Kai.  
  
"So you grew up here?" he asked. Kai looked at him.  
  
"I...don't remember. But yeah, I must have done," he replied. Rei nodded.  
  
"Don't you remember anything about your childhood, besides being in the abbey?" Rei asked, aware that any moment now Kai was going to put up his barriers again and refuse to talk.  
  
"Rei," Kai started. "I don't...can we not talk about this? At least, not now?" he asked, turning his head away from Rei. Rei sighed.  
  
"Okay, sorry."  
  
---------------  
  
The room was large and fashioned somewhat like a laboratory. Computer screens lined one wall, and a table was in the centre of the room. All over the place there were heaps of metal, scrap wires and equipment stacked into perilous piles that looked ready to collapse at any minute.  
  
A lone man sat typing away at a computer, various leads and plugs coming out of it, some of which were attached to the large computer system at the other end of the room, and others which ran over to the table and under a green cloth that was covering something on it. Running a hand through his hair he stood and made his way over to the table, leaning down and pulling off the cloth, staring at the formation of metal and wires underneath. He reached across and turned on a switch. For moments, nothing happened and the man's heart began to beat in his chest as his anticipation grew. Then five lengths of wire, about the size of a hand, clenched into a fist of steel.

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Okay! Formatting errors equal fixed! Well...they'd better be or else... insert obscenities here Ja...review please?


	2. Misconception

I've been asked if this is going to have any pairings in it, so I guess I'll tell you know; yes, there are. There's going to be some Tala/Kai and some Kai/Rei. In fact, Kai/Rei is the main pairing, Tala/Kai is the pairing in Kai's past that's going to rear its ugly head at some point. (Well...very two sexy heads, if you ask me...)  
  
--------------  
  
_Not My Story  
  
Misconception_  
  
--------------  
  
Tala had been right; sleep did not find him that night, or anytime the next day. He was the first one up and in the dining hall, the sense of fear he had felt at seeing the body slowly ebbing away, but still there non the less. He had been thinking about it all night, and realised that he had not been shocked at seeing a dead body, it was still the fact that he had recognised it that frightened him the most. Trying to shake the memory from his mind, he took a sip of coffee – black, one sugar – and stared down at his plate. Eating was the last thing on his mind; in fact, the thought of eating made him feel nauseous. Tala tried to tell himself that it was okay to be shaken up by something like this; after all, it wasn't everyday someone opened a car door to find a dead body staring up at you. _Unless you're a cop_, he mused. But there was still the trained part of his mind, the cold, cruel, ruthless part that existed only as a testament to his training at the abbey, that rebuked him and told him he was foolish. Of course, we all know that fear is a much stronger force than logic.  
  
The sound of an opening door interrupted his thoughts and he turned to see the three other Demolition Boys walking into the dining room. The Abbey's beyblading team were the only children allowed to eat in the dining room, and, after a few weeks of getting used to the strict and early routine, they were all very grateful for it; they didn't ever want to even think about the canteen food again.  
  
Bryan nodded a curt hello as he took a seat next to Tala, Ian and Spencer sitting on the other side of the table, facing them.  
  
"Are you alright?" Bryan question, taking a bite of his omelette. "You look pale."  
  
Tala snorted and took a sip of his orange juice.  
  
"You're a fine one to talk," he teased the lilac haired boy.  
  
"Oh, he's still insulting people," Ian remarked. "He's fine."  
  
Spencer quickly scoffed down his meal and then set about polishing and cleaning his beyblade.  
  
"I don't know why you bother," stated Ian, turning to look at him.  
  
Spencer rolled his eyes.  
  
"I have a water bitbeast, [1] you twit, if I don't keep it clean and polished, it'll rust."  
  
Ian shrugged and took out his own blade, grinning at it. Bryan, as if to prove that he was better, took out his beyblade and smirked as the bit chip glowed. The three of them looked to Tala, who looked back.  
  
"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms defiantly. The other three looked at each other and rolled their eyes.  
  
"Where's your blade?" Bryan asked, frowning at Tala. It was a daily routine. Spencer would start cleaning his blade, then the other three would take out their blades and talk about then until the training bell rang. However...  
  
"Umm..." Tala started, trying to think up a quick excuse. "It...got lost in the training room yesterday, I spent all night looking for it but..." he trailed off, knowing that if he said anything else, the others would not believe him, and those three were never content with just half of the story. Just then, the doors to the room swung open, saving Tala – supposedly – from any further questions. All four boys immediately stood from their chairs.  
  
"Good morning, Boris," they all chanted in unison, Tala's voice a little shakier than usual. What would Boris say about his blade? Tala wasn't sure why he was worrying, after all, what could Boris say to him being out of grounds that late at night? Boris nodded and walked over to the table, placing Tala's blade on the table next to him as he past on his way to the seat at the head. Tala stared at it, wondering whether he should say something or not. He decided on 'not'. Just as the boys were about to start eating again, a man walked into the hall and Boris stood up, almost running over to the man.  
  
"What are you doing _here_?" he hissed, trying to be quiet so that the boys wouldn't hear him, however, Tala had the senses of a fox so he did. "I told you I didn't want you to come here."  
  
The guy looked at Boris, seemingly unfazed. Tala blinked and wondered briefly if this man was even human. _What kind of person can stay so calm when Boris is mad at them?_ The man handed Boris an envelope, and Tala watched curiously as Boris took it and opened it slowly, reading it carefully and then nodding to the man. The man gave Boris a curt nod, that didn't seem in the least bit respectful, and Tala wondered just who the man was; he wasn't scared of Boris, and he apparently didn't respect him either.  
  
Deciding there was no more to see, Tala stood up, picking up his blade and saying goodbye to the others in his team. That was until Boris walked over and placed the letter down on the table and informed them all that their training session that morning would be starting a little later than usual. It was purely by chance that a servant came into the room, holding a phone and informing Boris that there was a call for him. Seemingly forgetting all about the letter, Boris walked over to take the call. Tala's heart was racing as he seized the opportunity and snuck a peek at the letter. His eyes fell on one line and alarm bells went off in his mind. '_All ineffective subjects are to be disposed of._'  
  
Tala ran from the room.  
  
-------------  
  
The day had been tiring. Tyson and Max had been talking excitedly about the party non-stop, and Rei wondered absently whether there was a limit to how much those two could talk about a subject. So far he had not encountered any such limit and he sighed as he realised that he probably never would.  
  
It was now three o'clock in the morning and Rei's eyes were closed as he gently dosed, his head snuggled comfortably into the pillow. It was then that he felt a slight breeze float over him and he shivered. Opening his eyes, Rei inwardly sighed as he noted that Kai was not in his bed, and that the balcony door was open. It took him a while to put two and two together, and when he did he laughed softly at how slow he had been. Silently climbing out of bed, he padded softly over to the curtain that covered the entrance to the balcony. Pushing it aside he stepped out onto the stone floor and scrunched up his toes as they came into contact with the cold tiles. He swiftly stood by Kai's side, looking out over the city. Kai didn't seem to acknowledge his presence, and in some ways, this made Rei feel happy, as it meant that at least Kai could stand him enough to let him stay there with him.  
  
Shifting his weight to his other foot, Rei took his eyes off the display of lights in the city below them and instead focused them on Kai.  
  
"Kai...I...I understand that there are things you don't want to tell me...but is there anything I should know about that's happening to make you want to come to China with me?"  
  
The slate-haired boy was still for a moment, his eyes not reflecting any emotion, and Rei wondered if he'd even heard him, then Kai spoke.  
  
"I don't want to go home. I don't want to go back to my grandfather," his eyes now shone with something that Rei could not quite identify. Fear, maybe?  
  
Rei nodded and turned his eyes away from Kai, only to find them drawn back. There was something inexplicably captivating about Kai's face that one didn't notice in the daytime, something very...beautiful? Rei noticed that he didn't feel odd using that word about Kai; it was the truth. Kai was beautiful in a way that nobody else Rei had ever seen could be. There was so much wisdom and pain in his face, and although his eyes were cold and seemingly empty, Rei could see so much...youth in them still. Youth that Rei knew had been taken from him. In that moment, Rei found himself accepting an unspoken task; to give Kai what had been taken from him. Rei hadn't the faintest idea how he was going to do that, anybody that tried to get too close to Kai was instantly shunned and turned away.  
  
Rei reached out his hand and gently brushed his fingers across Kai's face, noting the powdery texture of the area covered by the blue shark fins. Shock flashed for a moment in Kai's crimson orbs, and he turned his head to look at Rei. Rei took in a deep breath, and in that split second when their eyes met, he knew that every cliché about love was true. His heart suddenly ached and he felt himself longing for the Japanese Beyblader to touch him and to hold him.  
  
A nervous feeling started to grow in the bottom of Kai's stomach as he saw the swirling emotions in Rei's eyes. Kai knew that look, and he wasn't sure quite how he was supposed to react. He didn't have to. Rei's hand slipped around to the back of Kai's neck and pulled the older blader towards him, and as their lips hovered just an inch apart, Kai felt his heart begin to pound. His body grew hot and he could almost and electricity radiating from Rei's body. When their lips touched, it was like nothing Kai had ever felt before; his body suddenly wasn't his own and it felt and moved in a way he had never experienced before. _Is this what it's like to be in love?_  
  
--------------  
  
[1] can you believe I was about to type 'water Pokemon'? -- 


	3. Find

Notes: Yes, Tala and Kai are going to meet again, but not till the next chapter, which I am also writing today! Uh…they aren't gonna be too friendly. Although there's lots of 'stuff' gonna happen wink

Don't think there's anything else I need to say…except thank you to my reviewers, and it's 'YAOI'

---------------  
_Not My Story_

_Find_  
---------------

"It's a totally new form of technology, the characters in this game are conscientious, the outcome of the game depends on how the person plays it. Each character reacts differently to the player depending on how far into the game it is, or how they approach them. This doesn't just rely on time keeping chips to then activate a different reactions; the characters are actually thinking and feeling."

There were a few moments silence before the room erupted into various whispers. The representative from KX stood, unfazed, as the members of the ERGI – The Euro-Russian Gaming Industry - turned their attention away from him and instead to each other, no doubt deciding how much they were going to offer for the software he had come to sell.

KX was a computer company that designed software for the gaming industry. It had a creditable public history and reputation, but was widely known in Russia for designing training programmes for both martial arts and the military, although, these were illegal and had been classed as terrorist [1] programmes. The police, however, had yet to find a single programme that traced back to KX. The outcome of those trials had resulted in many a smug look on KX's part.

As many different offers were placed forward, a second man sporting a KX logo on his T-shirt staring taking down names. _The amateurs_, he mused. _Such sheep. So greedy._ When he and his colleague had finished noting down all the different companies that wanted to use their new software, they began to hand out the forms; all twenty pages of them, the last seven of which were small print. Then, satisfied that it had been a good day's work, they left, bright smiles on their faces and half a mind to go and buy themselves a new car; after all, they could afford it.

---------------

Tala launched his blade, watching the sparks fly as it tore up the metal dish. An evasive manoeuvre here, an attack there, the usual. But this time when the smoke cleared, it was not the silver blade that was left spinning. Ian cheered.

"Well done, Spencer!" he called, clapping. It wasn't as if he was particularly fond of Spencer, or that he hated Tala, it was just a bit…satisfying…to see Tala lose.

Tala stared blankly at the dish. He had lost. A voice from behind him made him freeze.

"Tala, you lost…again," the voice sent shivers up his spine and he nodded mutely, collecting his blade. It wasn't his fault, he kept thinking about the stupid letter and the stupid body and the stupid way that he kept thinking about them and the thoughts wouldn't go away. Tala didn't even know what he was thinking, he just kept replaying them over in his head, not trying to work anything out just…letting them cloud his mind.

"TALA!" I sharp voice broke his bitter musings and he snapped his head up, seeing a dangerous glint in Boris' eye that had not been there before. Suddenly, the world froze around Tala._ If…if I don't do this properly…he…he'll kill me too…_The red-haired blader shook the fear from his body, and, realising that Bryan had launched his blade into the ring, Tala followed suite, and, with a new wave of fear pushing him harder and harder, within ten seconds the dish was ripped in two, Bryan's blade landed a hundred yards or so behind him. The other Demolition Boys groaned as they realised that Tala's losing streak was over.

---------------

_Tic_

_Toc_

_Tic_

_Toc_

_Drip_

_Drop_

_Drip _

_Tic_

_Toc_

_Drop_

_Tic_

_Drop_

_Toc_

_Drip_

_Drip…_

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" Tala jumped out of bed and throw the clock at the tap in the corner. _Stupid friggin' abbey! Why the HELL did they build a dripping tap in someone's bedroom?_ He prowled over to the window and looked outside, the pale moon was still high in the crisp, black sky and Tala knew that tonight would be another sleepless night. Stepping past a pile of clothes he opened the door with a sigh, instantly retreating back into the room to grab a jumper. _And there's no central heating, either._

Halfway down the corridor that led to the kitchens, Tala's destination, the red-haired blader could see a sheet of light passing out from underneath one of the doors. _That's funny_, he thought. _No one should be up at this hour…huh, tell that to yourself, wise guy_. Tentatively gliding closer to the door, he could hear hushed voices inside, but they were too quiet to hear. He contemplated pushing the door open slightly, but that would not be a good idea. No, not a good idea at all. However, it would seem Tala was in luck, or not…depending on whether you regard overhearing people's conversations above not being found and dumped in the middle of Siberia. There was the sound of scraping chairs and footsteps starting towards the door. Tala panicked. Speeding off down the corridor he had just come through, Tala was faced with yet another obstacle, although this one was heading away from him; heading towards the front door.

The stiffened walk and cold demeanour of the figure gave his identity away, and Tala instantly froze as his mind ran awry with reasons for Boris being up at this time of night. Well, morning. The large entrance hall to the abbey provided Tala with enough shadow to keep himself hidden as he stole across the stone floor, his socked feet still feeling the cold that penetrated from it. But Boris stopped just as he opened the front door, and turned to walk into a room next to him. Tala was perplexed, but snuck forward enough to see that, once again, there was a car parked just outside the abbey. Peering more closely, he could also see that there was no driver; yet. His heart pounded and he knew that this was his chance. If he could get inside the car, then without a doubt he would be taken to wherever it was Boris was sneaking off too. _I wonder if Voltaire knows about this…_The thought was totally unprovoked, but as he wondered, the excitement in him rose, as did the fear. If Boris _was _sneaking off without Voltaire's permission, what did that mean? Worst of all, what would happen if _he_ was caught with him?

The clicking of a door to his right was the thing that made his mind up for him, and twenty seconds later, Tala found himself squashed in the boot[2]of the car. He was not best please when he heard a car door opening and he realised that Boris had gotten in the front and that he was squashed here unnecessarily. [3]

--------------

The ride was very uncomfortable; the ground was very uneven and Tala was sure that he was going to have lots of bruises in the morning. Even though he was securely shut in the boot, he could hear the wind howling around the car and tree branches scraping against it, sounding to Tala like someone chasing the car and trying to tear it to pieces. Suffice it to say, the strange noises and faint smell of petrol did nothing to calm his nerves, and when the car pulled to a stop, Tala felt his stomach lurch; if he didn't get out of here soon he was going to be sick.

After a few minutes waiting to ensure that he was alone, Tala pushed hard against the back of the seats and they fell forward. He scrambled into the back of the car and flung the door open, peering around it before venturing out. Standing up and shaking a little to rid himself of cramp and nausea, Tala was reminded of the last time he had been in such an enclosed space as that. He had been with another and faint flashbacks of hands rubbing his skin and lips pressed against his caused Tala to close his eyes and bite his lip, cursing himself for remembering _that _at such an inappropriate time. A grating sound jarred him from his memories and his eyes darted around, checking for intruders. _Well, I guess I'm the intruder here._

After a rather industrious search of the small car park in which he found himself, Tala concluded that there was no one there. The owners of the few cars that were there wouldn't be leaving for quite a while – he had checked the expiry date on the parking tickets – so Tala knew that he was quite safe here. But…that's wasn't the point, was it? He wasn't meant to stay here, he was meant to be following Boris to find out what the other man was up to. Finding himself at the door he had seen on his search of the car park, he decided that he had come too far to simply just go home now.

---------------

Whatever Tala had expected, it wasn't this. After making his way through the corridor – which was only one way and had nothing branching off it – he had come to a door, hearing no sound from it he had entered the room on the other side and had found himself in a viewing gallery, bordered off by a glass screen that looked down on a lab. On the right there were a set of stairs that led down there. No, this was not what he expected, although, Tala wasn't all too clear what he _had_ been expecting to see, but he knew it was not this.

Hundreds of glass tubes stood in dozens of rows before him, all of them filled with a green liquid that Tala instantly recognised; had he himself not come from one of those tubes, once? Thinking back, Tala realised that it had been _that_ substance he had seen on the window of the car the previous day. Not seeing anybody in the room below, the red-head descended the stairs and walked to the first row of tubes. Now he could see people in them, however, he noted that they all had the same faces, like they were clones. Shivering, he walked to the second row of tubes, and saw that the people in these had a different face to that of the first row, although they were still all the same. Tala frowned and went to the third row; here, all the people had the same face as those in the first row. Quickening his pace, Tala hurried past row after row and discovered that all alternate rows had the same faces. He also felt a sense of fear run through him, again. The second design of faces was the one that he had recognised on that body. Suddenly, it clicked, and Tala stumbled backward, clutching his stomach as if the air had been knocked out of him. _Me_, he thought, putting a hand to his mouth, not quite able to believe it.

"Me…the faces are…are…me…and..." Tala eyes widened in shock and he spun around, now acutely aware of the dull eyes that were watching him from the thousands of tubes. He knew they were not really watching him, but it was still the most unnerving thing he had ever felt. His breath caught in his throat. "The faces are me and…"

---------------

_It's hopeless_, Kai thought, frowning and looking away from the beybattle going on in front of him. He had been very lenient with the team, allowing them a lie-in and a fairly casual day, but now he was beginning to regret being so nice. Tyson and Max were supposed to be battling each other, but all they seemed interested in doing was getting Dragoon and Draciel to mix together and send showers of multicoloured sparks and shimmers everywhere.

Beside him, Rei laughed as a particularly strong ribbon of purple light knocked Tyson over. As he glanced over at the Chinese blader, Kai felt a heat rush over him as he remembered last night's encounter. How he longed to lean over and kiss him again…_I doubt Rei would appreciate me doing that in front of everybody else…_ A part of Kai found himself not caring, but the other part was strong enough to hold him back. All Kai needed was an excuse to be alone with Rei. He couldn't explain it, but he had lain awake for hours afterwards, the scent of the Chinese blader that lingered on his clothes driving him mad. Kai figured that no other human being had ever used as much self control has he had last night in trying not to go over to Rei's bed and…well, he hadn't. That was all that mattered. All Kai really wanted to know was just what the kiss had meant. Before it he didn't think he had ever thought about Rei that way, but when it happened, Kai knew that he had wanted it. Desperately, he had wanted it. And now he wanted to know what was going to happen. Was it just a one off? Or did Rei feel something for him? Kai wasn't sure quite what he felt towards his team mate, but he knew that whatever Rei wanted, he would try his best to give him. A strange twisting feeling in the pit of his stomach alerted him to the fact that whenever Rei was around, Kai felt utterly vulnerable. He knew that anything Rei asked him to do, he would do.

"Kai?" the voice broke his thoughts and Kai turned to see the object of his thoughts staring cautiously at him. "Are you alright?" Rei asked, putting an arm on Kai's, much like he had done before. Kai felt his barriers dropping away as the ice around his heart melted, the water drops bursting into flames as they fell. He smiled.

"I'm fine," he promised Rei, reaching out his arm and returning the gesture, squeezing Rei's arm slightly. Rei felt giddy. The look in Kai's eyes was so intense, so real, so strong, so…so…passionate? Rei didn't think he would ever see that emotion from Kai, but here it was, bright as day, and the neko-jin felt a shiver of delight run through him as he realised that the depth of the gaze was directed at him. Could it be that Kai…that Kai…was…_Is Kai in love with me?_ The thought felt silly even before he thought it, and Rei removed his arm from Kai's, turning away, convinced that it had all been his imagination desperately wanting Kai to love him back. Once again, the kitten felt the sting of unrequited love flare through him, and he shut his eyes, a small breath escaping his lips at the pain clutching his heart.

Sensing a drastic change in his friend's emotions, Kai gently but firmly took Rei's hand and led him away from the other blade breakers. Once they were safely alone, Kai took the chance to look at Rei, and noted at once the sorrowful expression and aura that surrounded Rei.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, instantly wondering if he had said something wrong as Rei's eyes filled with tears.

"Kai," he started. "I…last night…please tell me what…if it…meant anything to you…" he tried not to look at Kai, his own words shaming him. Kai's reaction was unreadable for a second, and then his face softened and he reached out to put his arms around Rei. It was a bit awkward and Rei could tell that Kai hadn't hugged or comforted anyone for quite a while. However, he leant into the other boy, a few eager tears slipping from between his closed eyelids and falling down his cheeks. Then Kai spoke.

"It meant everything to me."

There were a few moments silence as the words sunk in and their eyes met. An understanding was passed between them, and then, a flurry of kisses, both gentle and passionate sealed their decree.

---------------

"The faces are me and…"

"Kai."

The voice was enough to send Tala over the edge and he jumped round, his heart pounding in his chest and the blood gushing through his veins, striking a defensive pose. The Abbey trainer stood before him, a smirk evident on his lips.

"Well, hello Tala. I must say, I wasn't expecting to see you here."

----------------------------------------------

[1] I hate it. I really hate it. Don't you hate it? No, because you don't know what I'm talking about…I hate it when suddenly every attack on anything is instantly a terrorist attack. It REALLY annoys me -- I hate the whole thing to do with terrorism, it's all so two-faced and…annoying! Grr! Die Tony! DIE!  
[2] Trunk.  
[3] At this point I was pulling my hair out and banging my head on the desk because I had a sudden moment of writer's block. There, now I am playing Greenwheel's 'Breathe' – the song that I listen to whilst writing this fic - on my Discman and all is good


	4. I've Already Met You

---------------  
  
_Not My Story  
  
I've Already Met You_

---------------  
  
Tala didn't really remember anything that happened after he had been found. All he knew was that he was now back at the abbey and it was training time. He had been told to sit it out, and somewhere in the back of his mind he felt ashamed of being so terrified that he couldn't blade. All he could think was that he was going to die soon and that he hadn't yet told the person he loved that he loved them, that he didn't have a job, that he hadn't visited half the places he wanted to...he dimly wondered whether the expression 'his life flashed before his eyes' was entirely accurate. Tala figured it was everything somebody had wanted to do with their life that flashed before their eyes, all the lost opportunities, everything that they had yearned to do and now could not. A voice in his head told him that he might just be over-reacting and that he wouldn't die after all...but the voice was smothered and Tala refused to let it speak. False hope was something he despised.  
  
Tala was suddenly aware of somebody talking to him and he looked up to see Ian.  
  
"I said Boris wants to see us in his office," the boy repeated, eyeing Tala strangely. Tala nodded and walked with the other Demolition Boys to Boris' office where they were all told to take a seat. The purple haired man regarded them each with a calculating gaze, which left them all feeling a little uneasy. When Boris looked at Tala, the boy found a realisation dawning upon him. _We're going to die...oh god...he's goes to kill us all, because of me...why would he kill them? Perhaps he thinks I've told them something? Oh god...they can't die because of me, they just can't..._A sharp slap broke him from his hysterical thoughts and he glared up at Spencer. The other boy was looking at him worriedly.  
  
"You keep spacing out like that Tala, are you sure you're okay, man?"  
  
Tala nodded, and ignored the cynical and suspicious looks he was given. Instead he turned to Boris and waited, like a lamb about to be slaughtered, for Boris to speak.  
  
"Don't worry," he said at last, "none of you are in any trouble, although I would like to remind you all that being out of your rooms past eleven PM is against the rules, and I'd rather not have to punish any of my favourite students for being caught. His eyes lingered a little on Tala but then left. The red head let out a breath that he was not aware he had been holding. "You are here," he continued, "because I think it is time that you were informed of something. I was going to wait until a little later, but seeing as one of you has already stumbled upon the matter, I decided it shouldn't be left any longer."  
  
Three pairs of eyes turned accusingly to Tala and he felt his cheeks heat up.  
  
"You've all heard of the software company KX, have you not?"  
  
Four heads nodded in unison.  
  
"You are away that openly they produce game software, yet discreetly they produce training videos and simulations?"  
  
Another four nods.  
  
"Well, KX is also involved in a much larger project. You see, after Lord Hiwatari's attempts at using bit-beasts to...well...take over the world failed, he started searching for something that would enable him to not only rule the world, but control every single individual in it. Biovolt and KX have been working together for some time now and the project that will, hopefully, prove to be the path to world domination is almost complete.  
  
"You are aware that Biovolt created two genetically perfect beings, those being Tala and Hiwatari Kai. Well, when Voltaire met with the owner of KX, also a very ambitious man, they discussed creating hundreds of clones using the genetic make up of Kai and Tala, but Holdig, the owner of KX, pointed out that being produced on a large scale would probably make the clones unstable and after a while they would start to malfunction. So a better solution to the problem was found.  
  
"Using the DNA from Kai and Tala, the KX specialists were able to come up with a code that would serve as the basis for an army of clones. Instead of creating human clones, the joint Biovolt-KX project is using robots that are controlled by the characteristics of the genetically perfect individuals. Clearly, you, being the Abbey's best trained, will play a large part in the operation. Tala and Kai will lead the robots, and Ian, Bryan and Spencer will assist them, also taking responsibility for a large section of the clones," at this, Boris took a sip of water and stared at them. It was apparent that he had finished speaking, so Tala cleared his throat.  
  
"There is, Sir, just one flaw with that plan."  
  
Boris eyed him warily.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Tala nodded and shifted in his seat.  
  
"I have no doubt that Ian, Spencer, Bryan and myself could oversee a large number of robot clones...but...well, you mentioned Kai, Sir. You must know that there is no way Kai would _ever_ agree to join us. He's shown that he doesn't care about power."  
  
Boris gave a wry smile.  
  
"And _that_, Tala, is where you play a much larger part. Before the robot army is unleashed, we must have Kai on our side," he narrowed his eyes slightly. "You know what happened between you two, and as much as I'm loathe to admit it, that might be the key to bringing Kai back. Maybe if he remembers, he will return. I want you to find him, Tala, and make him remember."  
  
---------------  
  
As Tala stood on the street corner, he wondered why he had accepted. The other Demolition Boys had immediately hounded him for information on what Boris was talking about, and he had told them the bare minimum. He couldn't help but think that Boris was being a little too hopeful. What had happened to the Abbey staff? What had happened to their vicious mind games that they would use to bend people to their will. But nevertheless, Tala now stood, waiting, to see his 'friend'.  
  
---------------  
  
A strange sound could be heard from the Bladebreakers' bedroom. It was a sound that none of the boys had ever heard before and it made them feel slightly uncomfortable. At least, for the first few times they heard it, then it became interesting and they found themselves smiling at it.  
  
Rei was running around the room and jumping over the beds and bags on the floor. In his hand was Kai's scarf, clutched tightly between his fingers, the soft material an unfamiliar texture to him, but he found it to be a nice one and he assured himself that he would not give Kai back his scarf. That was why Kai was chasing round the room after him, and that was also the source of the strange noise. Kai was laughing. Tyson, Max and Kenny couldn't believe it at first, it wasn't Kai's usual cold, heartless laugh, it was actually a laugh of joy, and it had a sort of twinkle to it. Rei loved it.  
  
Finally Kai caught up with Rei and pinned him down to the bed, grinning victoriously and claiming his scarf back from Rei. Rei, in turn, pouted and admitted defeat. The other three bladebreakers had the sense to leave the room and Rei watched them leaving, then turned his gaze back to Kai, smiling.  
  
"Well, you caught me," he said, smiling fondly at Kai and resting his hand against Kai's cheek. Kai smiled back, a bang falling in front of his eyes as he leant over Rei. The hand on Kai's cheek moved up to brush the bang away and Kai put one of his own hands on top of it, bringing it to his lips and kissing it.  
  
"I love you," Rei whispered, his smile fading to be replace with a look of sincerity. Kai stared at him for a few seconds and then leaned down, brushing his lips against Rei's.  
  
"I love you too."  
  
---------------  
  
"Please, you guys?" Max and Tyson were pleading with Kai and Rei to take them back out into the town, but Rei couldn't really see why they couldn't go themselves. "We promise we won't embarrass you."  
  
"Yeah, and we won't complain about being hungry-"  
  
"Speak for yourself, Max."  
  
"Please Kai? Please Rei?"  
  
"Pleeeeease?" Two very practised Puppy Eye looks were sent their way and Rei bit his lip, determined not to let his resolve crumble. However, when Rei saw Kai sigh and nod, he knew that he had to give in too. If Kai tried the puppy eyes on him, Rei was sure that he would melt. Sure, he'd die a happy puddle of goo, [1]but he'd really rather not die at all. And he doubted that Kai would want to have a relationship with a blob of goo. Rei smiled as he pictured Kai carrying a bag containing a jar holding the Rei- like goo and kissing it goodnight.  
  
Kai raised an eyebrow when Rei's eyes glazed over and he grinned, like the Cheshire cat.  
  
"Rei?" he asked, waving his hand in front of Rei's face. Tyson and Max were glancing at each other and laughing slightly. Kai closed his eyes and leaned in, planting a chaste kiss on Rei's lips. Rei blinked and instantly pushed Kai away.  
  
"Don't kiss me!" he exclaimed, putting a finger to his lips. Kai frowned and stepped back, more than just a bit hurt.  
  
"Why not?" he asked coldly.  
  
"Because I'm goo!" Rei stated as he pointed to himself, then looked down at his normal body. "Oh...oh, I'm sorry Kai, I was having a daydream," he blushed and pulled Kai back to him, pressing their lips together, a little hungrily. Tyson and Max stared, then giggled. _Oh, great_, Kai thought as Rei broke the kiss for air. _We're never going to hear the end of this_, but Kai knew he didn't care. As long as he had Rei, he really didn't care what anybody else said.  
  
---------------  
  
All the way into the town centre Tyson and Max had been informing Kenny on what he'd missed. The young Bladebreaker listened, a little sceptical of what he was being told. Looking up at Kai and Rei who were walking a little way ahead, he tried to work out whether they were telling the truth. However, when Rei slipped his hand into Kai's and Kai turned to smile at him, Kenny decided it was the truth. But he drew the line when Tyson tried to tell him that Kai had ravaged Rei right in front of them. Not even Max went along with that one and ended up bonking Tyson on the head.  
  
The five boys had only stopped at a few shops when Tyson declared that he was hungry, much to everyone's dismay, and they decided to head somewhere to eat.  
  
"You know, I could have sworn I heard Max saying that they wouldn't complain about being hungry," Rei said to Kai, once again slipping his hand into Kai's.  
  
"Yes, well we can't blame Max for Tyson, can we? I mean, we can't really blame anyone for Tyson," Kai smiled and chuckled softly when Tyson let out an indignant cry.  
  
"Hmm, what about his parents? Although, I'm not really sure Tyson _has_ human parents...Kai?"  
  
Kai had stopped, his eyes fixed on something, and the rest of the Bladebreakers also came to a halt to see what was bothering their captain. Kai was staring at a figure standing on the far side of the street. Tyson strained his eyes to see who it was but couldn't. He turned to Max but the blonde boy was having the same trouble.  
  
Kai took a step back.  
  
"Tala?" he enquired, his voice a little shaky. The red haired teen stepped out into the light, a smirk on his pale face. He strolled across the street and came to stop just in front of Kai.  
  
"Hey Kai. How are you? Long time no see..." He reached out to put a hand on Kai's shoulder, but Kai brushed it away. Tala frowned and shoved him up against the wall, pinning his arms over his head. The rest of the bladebreakers watched, expecting Kai to fight back against Tala, but he didn't.  
  
"Kai?" Rei ventured, taking a step forward.  
  
"No, no kitten," came Tala's cold voice. "We wouldn't want you getting hurt now, would we?"  
  
Rei glanced cautiously at Kai.  
  
"Kai?" he asked, seeking his leader's approval before he stepped in to help. But Kai didn't hear him, all he could concentrate on where the swarms of memories that were flashing before his eyes, causing his eyes to water and his heart to stop in his chest. All he could concentrate on were the sweating bodies, moving together so brutally and yet so gracefully. He saw the memory of a boy lying on a bed with someone leaning over him. _Was I raped?_ Kai thought, but when he saw the boy lift up a hand to bring the other's head down for a kiss, he realised that the act was entirely consensual. What had he done? He was snapped out of his thoughts when Tala slapped him.  
  
"I'm talking to you, Kai, don't ignore me, it's very rude."  
  
"Geesh Tala, you're such a jerk, no wonder Kai hates you," Tyson hollered, running forward to aid his friend, but a glare from Tala stopped him in his tracks.  
  
"Is that what you've told them Kai? Is that what you remember?" he smirked and leaned his face nearer Kai's. "Because that's not how things were. You don't hate me, you _love_ me," he leaned in further and placed a rough kiss on Kai's lips before moving away and disappearing back into the shadows, casting a last, meaningful glance towards Kai before disappearing completely.  
  
The warmth of Tala's body lingered and Kai found himself confused. He was sure that those couldn't be memories, he had no recollection whatsoever of being like _that_ with Tala. More so, wouldn't he still feel something for him if they had been lovers, partners, whatever it was they had been?  
  
The bladebreakers stared at Kai, waiting for their leader to deny it, or to run after Tala and beat him into a bloody pulp, but Kai did neither.  
  
"Kai, is that true?" Rei asked, feeling jealously well up within him. Kai turned his head slowly to look at his team.  
  
"I...I...I didn't remember...until now..."  
  
Tyson whistled.  
  
"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" he laughed and turned to leave, but Rei walked over to Kai and slammed him against the wall.  
  
"You're lying! You never forget anything! You never lost your memories, did you Kai? It was just a lie that gave you a reason not to tell us. But I guess I know why you wouldn't want to, you're disgusting. They're the enemy, Kai, you _know_ what they've done to people. Not only that you...you said you loved me! Why did you..._how_ could you lie to me, Kai? I really trusted you. Bigger fool me," Rei spat on the floor next to Kai, and Kai looked at him blankly. Had Rei been a bit calmer, he might have noticed the large amount of hurt and pain in Kai's eyes, but he was not, so he did not.  
  
"Rei, I'm not lying, I did forget, and I..." Kai gasped. He wasn't ready for this. "I can see....I can..."  
  
"Kai?" Rei's cat eyes returned to normal and he was taken aback by the amount of sorrow and pain that was lined on Kai's face. "Are you ok? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, I...Kai!" Rei yelled as Kai fell forward into his arms, his eyes rolling shut as his mind shut down and paved way for the endless flood of memories.  
  
---------------  
  
Tala could tell that Boris was growing impatient. He had reported back to the KX lab as instructed, and Boris had been less than pleased to see him empty handed. Now the purple haired man was watching with narrowed eyes as Tala paced up and down the gallery.  
  
"I won't ask you again, Tala, why isn't Kai with you?"  
  
Tala stopped pacing to glare at Boris.  
  
"I'd like to see you try to get him back!" he shouted, scowling and resuming his pacing pattern. Boris smirked.  
  
"No, actually, I don't think you would."  
  
Tala contemplated this and found himself agreeing; he most certainly would not want to see the lengths Boris would go through to get Kai back. He sighed.  
  
"Look, he remembers now, okay? You know Kai, he's curious, he'll come looking for me, trying to find out more. And when he does..." Tala paused and looked up at Boris, hoping the other man had caught his drift. Apparently not, according to the blank stare he received.  
  
"And when he does?"  
  
"Then you lock him in a cell and threaten to kill his team mates until he agrees to join us!" Tala shouted, exasperated. Boris shook his head.  
  
"So naïve," he jeered. "Kai doesn't care about his team mates, he wouldn't fall for that."  
  
Tala slowed down and smiled slightly.  
  
"Actually...I think he would. Threaten the neko-jin, he seems particularly attached to him," Tala stated, coming to rest in front of Boris. "In fact," a jealous scowl appeared on his face. "A little too attached." Tala's scowl deepened at Boris' smirk.  
  
"How confident are you that your plan is going to work?" Boris questioned him, twiddling his thumbs lazily.  
  
"Very," declared the red head.  
  
"Good, because if it does, then you and he will be working side by side, with no Rei Kon to come between you. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" he drawled the last past suggestively and Tala cringed.  
  
"That's non of your business," he stammered, glaring once again at Boris.  
  
"I beg to differ. Your business is my business Tala, and I won't let you screw this up."  
  
Tala blinked. He hadn't heard Boris swear before, and he fleetingly wondered why; Boris was always, it seemed, angry at something or another. But then again, he was known for his self control. Shaking his head, Tala sighed. Kai had better come looking for him, because if he didn't...Tala would feel betrayed. Not that he didn't already, but there was still a part of his heart that hoped Kai still belonged to him. Still a part of his heart that was able to feel; able to love.  
  
---------------  
  
-  
  
_The two of them sat, side by side, on the snow covered rooftop of the Abbey. They were both youngish boys, probably about twelve or so, and whilst their faces made them look younger, anybody looking into their eyes would think they were looking at someone who had lived a lifetime of pain and sorrow, and in essence that wasn't far from the truth. The Abbey was particularly gruelling to it's too most prized possessions.  
  
The one with blue hair looked out over the city of Moscow, his crimson orbs drinking in every streetlight, every person he could see, his ears picking up the sound of every car and every child. He was transfixed by the city. So close yet so distant. They were not allowed out into the city for fear that some evil would befall them and strip the Abbey of its gems.  
  
The boy's companion, however, was concentrated on another thing. His eyes washed over the body of the boy sat next to him and then they returned to studying his face. The boy was beautiful, in his opinion, and he found himself unable to do anything when his hand reached across to brush away some bangs that had fallen into the other boy's eyes. The bluenette turned, with a startled expression on his face, and his eyes held a questioning gaze as he stared at his red haired friend.  
  
"Tala," he started but was cut off when the other boy hurriedly placed a finger on his lips.  
  
"Kai, you know how lonely we get sometimes?" he asked, and the bluenette nodded. "Well, I was thinking that maybe...you know how adults have each other, and stuff..."  
  
"Are you saying that you want us to date?" was the blunt reply. The red head nodded and bit his lip. Kai studied him for a minute and then smiled. "I guess, I mean, we're best friends, right? It can't mean much more than that," he reached across and swept away some of the red bangs that covered Tala's eyes, returning the earlier gesture.  
  
"Does this mean we kiss and say stuff like 'I love you'?" Tala asked, shifting closer to Kai. The other boy pondered this for a moment and shrugged.  
  
"I guess. That's what other people do."  
  
Tala nodded and leaned forward, turning his head so that his lips could meet Kai's without their noses getting in the way. It was an awkward kiss, but it offered the boys a source of warmth in the bitter cold of the night.  
_  
-  
  
_A bright smile greeted him as he opened his eyes. _

_"Wake up sleepy," said a cheerful voice as the owner prodded him in the ribs. _

_"But it's Saturday," Kai moaned, glancing at the calendar to make sure he was right. He was. _

_"I know!" exclaimed the boy stood before him. "You promised we'd go exploring," he stated. Frowning, Kai regarded Tala with a raised eyebrow. _

_"What am I, your mother?" _

_"Nope. My lover." _

_Kai nodded. _

_"Right. And I promised you we'd go exploring," sighing he got out of bed and dressed, noting with a sweat drop how the other boy watched his every move with intense fascination. "Sometimes, Tala," he said. "Sometimes."  
  
-  
  
"Tala, I'm not sure we should be doing this. If we get caught we'll be-"  
  
"Kai! It's my birthday! Please just trust me?"  
  
"I do trust you, I just don't think this is such a good idea."  
  
"Spoil sport."  
  
"I'm not! I just-" Kai decided not to bother protesting anymore. They had reached Tala's bedroom and the red head had just locked the door behind them. Kai followed him over to the bed and lay down, waiting until Tala has found a comfortable position above him and then reached up to support Tala's hips with his hands.  
  
The process of undressing was fairly difficult, and Kai found himself thinking that clothes were an inconvenience when it came to...he couldn't quite bring himself to think it. They hadn't done it yet, and maybe if he didn't think about it, Tala would chicken out and they wouldn't have to. You're just too proud to admit you're scared, Kai thought to himself.  
  
About an hour later, they both lay, a tangled mix of limbs as they held tightly to each other, their breaths just returning to normal.  
  
"Tala?" Kai said, opening his eyes to stare into the crystal blue orbs that lay before him.  
  
"Mm?"  
  
"Happy birthday."  
_  
-  
  
Kai groaned. His head hurt, majorly, and he opened his eyes slowly, glad to find that at least there was no bright light to make matters worse. A movement beside him caused him to turn, and he saw Rei sat next to him. Rei smiled and crawled onto the bed, snuggling up against Kai.  
  
"I'm sorry about what I said," he apologised quietly, glancing up into Kai's crimson eyes.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Kai said, smiling down at him. "I think I would have done the same if our roles had been reversed."  
  
"Really?" Rei shot up, staring at Kai, and the older boy wondered if he'd said something wrong.  
  
"Um...yes?" he said, unsure whether that was the right answer or not.  
  
"Oh Kai! You really...really care that much about me?" Kai instantly found a neko-jin clinging to him and telling him how wonderful he was. Sure, it was a nice ego-boost, but Kai pried Rei off him just a little and Rei sighed and looked up at him seriously.  
  
"Kai...please tell me about what happened with you and Tala. No, not just that, please tell me everything that you can remember...a part of knowing someone is knowing their past, and until now, I haven't been able to because, well, you haven't known yourself."  
  
Kai nodded and pulled Rei close to him.  
  
"I'll tell you."  
  
So he did. ----------------------------------------------  
  
[1] inspired by Gravitation's Shuichi Shindou.  
  
Wow! Over 4000 words! I'm proud of me I kept telling my sister that I was going to make this chapter 4000 words long and she was like 'Yeah, right.'  
  
HAHA!


	5. Broken Statue

OKAY! First off, let me apologise for the disgraceful lack of updating! It's just...well...you see...um...I couldn't be bothered -- Although, truth be told, I did have chapters 5 and 6 of this done, but then my computer had to be rebooted and I lost them -- No, I do not back up my files on floppy disc. So, after I realised I was faced with re-writing those two chapters, my brain melted and refused to work. So...I'm very sorry! I plan to write and write and write today to get those two chapters DONE, and then I'll have overcome what made me not want to write Yay...I may also update 'When We Forget To Remember'...depends...I'll try.

So...SORRY FOR THE DELAY!!!!

(Also, the end of this chapter might now appeal to everybody. Although, if it doesn't, I'm not entirely sure why you're reading slash...)

---------------

Not My Story 

_Broken Statue_

---------------

There was a short silence, then a loud fusion of synthesisers and electric guitars pierced Rei's ears and he winced. It was the same after every song, that small moment of silence when the song changed was all the relief he was given from the upbeat and very loud and intrusive sound of Japanese pop music. The others seemed to like it, in fact, everybody else at the party was dancing, but he would have preferred to be listening to Mozart right now. Not that he liked Mozart, he just had a feeling that it wouldn't be quite so taxing on his sensitive neko-jin ears.

As he tried to block the music out, he thought about what Kai had told him and sighed. It was the sort of thing you see in films that makes everybody grimace and pity people, except it was real...and what was worse was that Kai seemed to think it was normal. Well, not normal, but he didn't seem to speak of it like a bad experience or a trauma, instead he spoke about it like anybody else would speak about their past. _But, _thought Rei, _I suppose everybody thinks that their past is normal, after all, they've lived it, and I doubt it seemed strange at the time. How's a child supposed to know that being beaten isn't just something that everybody goes through and they just don't speak about it? No wonder they're so cold...nobody ever showed them any compassion or love...although...they must have known about it, otherwise Tala wouldn't have..._

Rei sighed again. Tala. He knew that Kai had no romantic feelings for him anymore, and he almost felt guilty for begrudging Tala the love of the one person who'd ever given it to him. He wondered whether Tala would continue being cold to Kai if he knew that his memories had returned. He wondered if Tala was open up to him if he knew that Rei knew about his past, and that he wasn't really evil. But what is evil? Just because Tala didn't chose to do the things he did, it didn't mean he'd stop doing them. Just because he hadn't chosen to be evil, it didn't mean he wasn't.

Rei rubbed his head and took a sip of coke. That was some deep thinking, definitely not the sort of thing to get lost in whilst you're sat at a bar in the middle of a huge party surrounded by people who know you and could possibly have a grudge against you for beating them in battle. Rei frowned and looked down at his drink, then laughed. Now he was getting paranoid.

He turned around on his stool and looked out over the dance floor. He could see his team mates talking to some of the other bladers that had been invited there, and he smiled when he realised that Tyson was trying to go to the food table. But Kenny and Max had him held tightly by the arms and were talking as though nothing was going on. His eyes scanned the various bladers, a small smile gracing his lips when he saw his old team, but disappearing when they met the cold gaze of a Russian blader. Rei offered a smile, but the blue eyes turned away from his and that, apparently, was the end of that.

"Penny for your thoughts," came a voice next to him and he turned around to see Lee sit down on a stool. "Although, they're probably only worth a pebble. Or a small rock."

Rei rolled his eyes.

"What are you talking about? My thoughts are precious. Your entire existence isn't worth as much as one of my thoughts."

Lee snorted and smiled at him.

"Well?"

---------------

"Don't be stupid," Tala spat, glaring at Bryan. "Kai will come back to the abbey, you know he will. He has the most wonderful ability to not be able to let anything go. He'll come back, wanting to remember more and find out about his past, then we'll take him, and tell him...things, and he won't want to leave."

He crossed his arms lent back against the wall, his crystal blue eyes starting a search for Kai. But the other blader was not present in the room, Tala was sure of it. If he was, he would find him, but seeing as he couldn't, Kai must be...the corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. _On the balcony._

---------------

"I was just thinking about...Kai," Rei lied, offering Lee some of his drink, which the other boy took.

"Really? Because it looked like you were staring at the red-haired guy," Lee remarked, looking pointedly at Rei and earning himself a playful glare.

"Okay, I was. But I was just thinking about the Abbey, and Russia..."

"We're still in Russia."

"I'm ignoring you, and well...I was just thinking about their past..." He looked up again to motion to Tala but blinked, the red-head was nowhere to be seen. He shook his head. It would seem that it wasn't just Kai who had a knack for doing that, then.

---------------

The balcony was cold and dark, but lit up just enough to cast shadows over the cold marble statues that lined the edges. Stemming from the wall a complex series of statues were carved in a line along one side of the balcony, a series of goblins, nymphs and sprites that held a silence so severe one couldn't help but feel intimidated by them. They looked so real, and their faces were cast in such a way that you couldn't help but wonder if they were hiding something; suppressed memories or knowledge that would remain forever enclosed in their marble forms. Where the statues finished, stone benches were woven into the pattern at the end of the balcony, also cold and dark, they were attached by low stone railings that crossed the very end.

Crimson eyes stared out across the railings and down on to the city. The owner was sat as still as the statues, the icy wind blowing his hair across his face, though he did not move to brush it back. He wore no coat, but he did not feel cold, in fact, the only movement he made was a slight narrowing of the eyes when he heard footsteps on the marble behind him.

"Well, well. You do make it easy for your enemies to find you, Kai."

---------------

"Guys! Guys!" Rei was trying frantically to settle everyone down, but it didn't appear to be working. A few minutes ago Tyson and Ian had started an argument, and now both of their teams were involved in a huge fistfight. Lee had tried to calm Rei down and tell him that it was vaguely amusing, but Rei had glared at him and was now in the process of trying to grab Tyson's arms without getting hit himself. A heavy blow to his stomach told him that he should give up that dream.

Rei wasn't sure what was going on; he'd never seen Max that angry before! Come to think of it...he'd never seen Kenny that mad before, either. Where the hell were the two team leaders?! They were probably the only people who could control their teams, but Rei had no idea where they were.

---------------

Kai had stopped glaring at Tala, he knew from experience that it just didn't work, in fact, it only seemed to amuse Tala, which Kai found infuriating.

"What do you want?" he asked after a while, sitting back down on the stone bench and returning his eyes to the silent city. He heard the crunch of leaves as the red head walked over and stood behind him, the movement and noise almost sacrilege in the silence of the marble balcony.

"I want you to come back to the Abbey."

Kai sighed.

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Oh yeah, because for the last five years that's all I've been hearing from you and my grandfather," he lowered his eyes, the glare of the lights from the city a distraction that he could not afford when he was talking to Tala. The other boy was clever, and if he wasn't alert, he'd most likely end up agreeing to going back with him. _Would it really be that bad? _Kai's mind asked, too wrapped up in its new-found memories of Tala to give a thought to Rei. But Kai knew that he couldn't let nostalgia let him down again and he gritted his teeth. _Because I'm in love with Rei, and I can't leave him._

"Kai, are you even listening?" Tala pressed, his voice a little sterner than usual. Kai cursed mentally, knowing that he couldn't let Tala think he'd been spaced out.

"Yes, I'm just choosing to ignore you," Kai replied, hoping that covered all possible scenarios of what Tala was talking about. Apparently it did, and the Russian blader growled slightly, startling Kai. He wasn't aware he'd made him that angry, come to think of it...Tala being angry could be a very scary thing...Kai turned round and looked up at Tala, knowing that he shouldn't push his luck. But Tala, it seemed, was already too angry, and he grabbed Kai, pushing him back against the cold, stone railings. Kai gasped as the air was knocked from his lungs at his sudden contact with the railings.

"You _will _come back with me, Kai," Tala hissed, leaning in close and glaring at the boy beneath him. Kai was trying not to let his fear show, but it was hard, after all, he'd seen people on the receiving end of Tala's temper, and it was _not _a pretty sight.

"I can't, I have people here I care about," Kai tried to reason, not caring that he was effectively telling his feelings to Tala, which could be a disadvantage if Tala was in a very vicious mood.

"Me too. I care about _you, _Kai, and I want things back how they used to be. Do you remember?"

Kai nodded, shifting underneath Tala and starting to feel uncomfortable with the amount of contact they had with each other. Sighing, Tala pressed his lips to Kai's, not kissing him, just lying like that for a few seconds before he stood up.

"I love you, Kai, but don't think I'm just going to let you disappear. If I have to hurt you to get you to come back to me, I will. If I have to hurt Rei, I will," Tala's eyes were dull, not his usual icy blue, and Kai knew that he was done with being aggressive for the night.

"Tala..."

"Don't try to reason with me. If I have to _kill _him, I will, because you mean more to me than _anything_, and I will _not _let you go. Kai..." he pulled Kai up, rubbing a finger across his cheek and brushing away a tear that had fallen. "Come back to us...if you come voluntarily, Rei can come too...and Boris won't be as harsh as he was before. He _needs _you now, he's not going to hit you or..."

"I will not come back to the Abbey," Kai hissed, feeling embarrassed that he'd started crying, and he pushed past Tala, running inside. Tala ran after him, grabbing Kai's arm as they entered the hall.

"Kai..." he frowned and turned his head to see what Kai was staring at. "Shit..."

There were Russian police everywhere and hardly any of the party guests remained. Kai instantly spotted Rei sitting alone at a table and ran over to him. Tala decided to let the matter drop for the night.

"Rei?" Kai asked, kneeling down his chair and wrapping his arms around the other boy. Rei smiled and looked down at him, a small bruise on his left cheek, but other than that, he seemed fine.

"Hey...you missed one hell of a fight, love," smiling, Rei kissed his cheek and rest his chin on Kai's head.

"Are you alright?" the older boy asked, feelings of worry for another person a new emotion to him. Rei nodded and stroked his hair.

"I'm fine. Spencer got knocked unconscious and is in hospital, the others are just being questioned by the police. But this is private property and Mr Dickinson's made sure that the hotel owner isn't going to file charges."

Kai raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Are you okay?" Rei asked, only just noticing the trails where tears had run down Kai's cheeks and running a smooth finger over them. Kai nodded and pulled away a little so he could look at Rei.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Tala just got a little..." Rei nodded, understanding. Motioning towards the door, he waited for Kai to stand up and then he took his hand, silently leading his lover to their hotel room. Luckily, everyone else was being questioned in a different room, so the bedroom was their own for another few hours.

Kai watched as Rei lay down on the bed, looking up at him with golden eyes. The blue haired blader smiled and crawled onto the bed, kneeling above the other and leaning down to kiss him gently as Rei began to unbutton his shirt. Kai silently praised himself on deciding to wear a shirt tonight instead of his usual top; it made it a hell of a lot easier to undo. Gentle fingers brushed silky skin as the Chinese blader undid the last button and the shirt fell open. Rei ran his fingertips over the pale skin, finally being able to touch the muscular chest that he'd wanted for so long.

Kai shivered slightly, breaking off the kiss to look down at Rei with hungry eyes. He made a quick job of removing the neko-jin's own shirt, sliding his fingers under the waistband of his jeans and sliding them over his hips, along with his boxers. Long fingers traced the skin beneath them, bringing moans from Rei's lips as they made their path down.

As hot lips captured his own, he felt a prick of pain and his fingers dug into Kai's back, pulling the other closer to him as the pain increased, then stopped. Frowning a little, Rei noticed that Kai still had his trousers on, then he blushed as he realised that he hadn't been paying much attention to what the other was doing. He slid his own fingers under Kai's waistband, pulling the other's trousers off with a little help from his lover.

Kai pushed Rei's legs apart, positioning himself, before Rei felt another sudden pain, before a wave of pleasure sang through his body. He moaned beneath Kai, bucking his hips everytime his lover brushed his spot, earning moans from Kai as he did so. Rei felt slightly useless just lying underneath his lover, but Kai's quickening breaths and pleasured moans told him it wasn't so. Finally, Rei's eyes closed tight as an intense wave of pleasure ran through his body and Kai cried out hoarsely as he filled Rei with his seed.

Kai collapsed down next to Rei, still panting, and pulled his lover into his arms. Body still hot, Rei curled up in his arms, a content smile on his face as he slowly drifted into sleep.

---------------

Phew. Okay...I think that's my first sex scene in a fanfiction, and I HOPE that it's R not NC-17. I never really could tell the difference. If it is a little too NC-17ish, tell me and I'll try to make it less so. Well...sorry again for the delay and I hope you liked the chapter!


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